Fire Department tests new lifesaving equipment

What is the quickest, most convenient way to cut off the side of a four-door car: That was just one of the lessons Redwood Falls firefighters learned March 7 during their weekly training session.

By Joshua DixonStaff Writer

What is the quickest, most convenient way to cut off the side of a four-door car to remove an injured person?Simple — cut off the center post between the front and back doors, then roll the connected doors to the side as one piece.That makes it easier for emergency crews to lift the injured person out onto a back board, with the least risk of causing spinal injuries.That was just one of the lessons Redwood Falls firefighters learned March 7 during their weekly training session.The fire department was learning how to use a new $20,000 Genesis rescue tool that is the next step in technology beyond the standard “jaws of life” used by emergency crews since the early 1970s.The Genesis rescue tool was budgeted for this year’s fire department budget in part because new vehicle designs have outgrown the previous “jaws of life’s” capabilities.